Rick Mayer
Digital ProducerI’m the online producer for Health News Florida, a collaboration of public radio stations and NPR that delivers news about health care issues.
This is an important position at WUSF. In 2019, the typical U.S. family spent about 11 percent of its annual income on health care, so it stands to reason issues of cost, quality, access and innovation are consequential to all Floridians. Then COVID-19 came along, and the weight of these matters gained exponentially. I take our reporting on these topics quite seriously, as I’m sure you do, too.
Literally growing up in newsrooms and a little serendipity along the way prepared me well for the post. Here’s the abridged version: I’m a Tampa guy, graduating from H.B. Plant High and thrust into the world with my USF degree rolled tightly in hand. From there, it was three mostly sleepless decades as an editor at The Tampa Tribune, then developing and managing an online journal serving physician executives. There’s also my side job editing a statewide health magazine.
And being married to a longtime hospital nurse/case manager helps; dinner conversation often gives me a feel of what’s happening on the front lines. The good and not-so-good.
Of course, my time isn’t always spent flailing in the health news vortex. You’re actually more likely to find me breaking down the Bucs, Bulls or Bolts after a game, taking Oodle the poodle to the dog park or tinkering the backroom piano while vicariously reliving my former life as a musician. (Remember, kids: Parents of percussionists have plenty of patience. Plenty!)
Contact Rick on X @rmayer2361 or by email at Mayer1@wusf.org.
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem highlighted recent Florida arrests on serious criminal charges, but downplayed aggressive ICE tactics and suggested that undocument immigrants afraid of ICE self-deport. -
South Florida (6-1, 3-0) is the only Group of Five team in the poll. Tough conference games remain, but the Bulls essentially can earn an automatic bid in the College Football Playoff by winning out. -
The ice cream was distributed to some stores in Florida, excluding Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Tampa, and Sarasota. It was also shipped to Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina. -
The proposed Fieldhouse complex would feature up to 12 basketball courts and 24 volleyball courts, with the possibility of adding a privately funded ice rink. The adding investment will come from tourist taxes. -
Louk has called more than 3,000 Bulls sports events on radio and television, including every football game, as well as men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, soccer and volleyball. -
During her 3½ years at USF St. Petersburg, Hardigree increased enrollment by 26 percent, expanded research and introduced new academic programs. No interim plans have been announced. -
Of course, the first real CFP rankings aren't out for a few weeks, but an AP "mock" bracket gives the Bulls the automatic bid for a non-power conference team. -
At an introductory news conference, Patrick Zalupski and top executives Ken Babby and Bill Cosgrove said there is a sense of urgency to get a ballpark built as part of a revenue-generating, mixed-use development. -
Despite strong regional showings in the annual Best Children's Hospital's rankings, no Florida hospital has yet to crack the top 10 nationally in any of 11 pediatric specialties or the national Honor Roll. -
The Morsani School of Medicine was the only one with a perfect score in the inaugural analysis by the Center for Accountability in Medicine, which based rankings on academics, transparency and rejection of DEI.
